More than 130 Green Infrastructure Projects Answer the Call to TheCityFix Labs México

February 25, 2019

Mexico City, Mexico. Photo by WRI México

On February 15, the open call for applications to TheCityFix Labs México came to a close, attracting over 130 applications from local municipalities, companies and non-profits. TheCityFix Labs México is an effort of the Financing Sustainable Cities Initiative, implemented by WRI México and supported by Citi Foundation, to help cities understand how to better finance green infrastructure projects. By targeting waste management, water and energy efficiency, and working with both private and public support, these projects will help transform Mexican cities into more sustainable places.

From this pool of applications, WRI México experts will work with an esteemed jury to narrow down the group to a smaller cohort of projects that demonstrate implementation potential along with strong social, economic and environmental impacts. Those projects, announced on March 26, will move on to receive technical assistance on developing business plans, from April to December. Then, on December 8, the Labs will culminate in an event for project teams to present their ideas to potential investors.

“Of the more than 130 teams that registered their ideas, 96 fulfilled all the requirements on the call,” explains Jorge Macías, Director of Urban Development and Accessibility at WRI México. “The high number of applications speaks to the great need to promote mechanisms that link projects of social impact with tailored financial solutions.”

The distinguished jury for the Labs will include a variety of internationally recognized experts, including Ophelié Chevalier, Senior Housing and Urban Development Specialist of the Inter-American Development Bank; Horacio Terraza, Leader of Specialists in Urban Affairs at the World Bank; Cecilia Martínez, former Director of New York and Regional Offices of UN-Habitat; Édgar Villaseñor, Regional Secretary for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean of Local Governments for Sustainability; Juan Carlos Jiménez, General Director of the Association of Banks of Mexico; and Adriana Lobo, Executive Director of WRI México.

Through TheCityFix Labs, WRI México aims to help cities create a better understanding of the funding and finance of green infrastructure projects. Each of the project teams aspires to sustainable solutions to some of the most pressing urban challenges, but urban decision-makers need to see that they are financially sustainable as well. TheCityFix Labs will fill that knowledge gap and help move these ideas to reality.

TheCityFix Labs build off of the Financing Sustainable Cities Initiative’s work around the world supporting the market transition to sustainable investments by combining knowledge-sharing, capacity-building and direct technical assistance to help cities better define and initiate fundable projects. The FSCI is funded by the Citi Foundation and is a partnership between WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.